The present invention relates to exercising apparatus in general, and more particularly to improvements in exercising apparatus for afflicted elbow and/or shoulder joints, especially for postoperative physical therapy such as that which is recommended following the implantation of shoulder end prostheses and/or osteosynthesis, contusions and/or tearing of muscles in the shoulder and/or elbow region, all kinds of illnesses involving the danger of stiffening of the shoulder joint, surgery in the region of the elbow, lower arm and/or upper arm, removal of calcereous deposits, as well as for the purpose of preventing contraction of muscles. The above are but a few examples of circumstances under which the exercising apparatus of the present invention can be put to use. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in exercising apparatus of the type wherein one arm of the patient rests on a support which is affixed to a carriage and may but need not always be provided with a pivot in the region of an afflicted elbow joint so as to allow for flexure of the lower arm with reference to the upper arm.
It is already known to install an exercising apparatus for the shoulder and/or elbow of a patient on a chair or on a frame which can be placed next to the patient, e.g., next to a chair in which the patient is seated or next to a bed which is occupied by the patient. Such exercising apparatus exhibit a number of serious drawbacks, especially that they can be used by a patient only as long as the patient is sufficiently close to the chair, bed or frame carrying the exercising apparatus. Furthermore, and at least as important, it is not possible to invariably ensure that the apparatus will be held and will remain in an optimum position for use by a patient, for example, that the aforementioned support will be located in an optimum position with reference to the shoulder joint. Thus, while the various pivots of the apparatus may be adequately positioned relative to the afflicted elbow and/or shoulder joint prior to start of an exercise or a series of exercises, the positions of such pivot or pivots relative to the elbow and/or shoulder joint are highly likely to and normally do change with attendant problems such as pronounced discomfort as a result of articulation of the arm relative to the shoulder and/or of the lower arm with reference to the upper arm. Moreover, it is practically impossible to induce or force a patient to remain in a fixed position with reference to a stationary exercising apparatus for an extended period of time so that, at the very best, such conventional exercising apparatus can be used for relatively short intervals of time which might not be advantageous in connection with certain types of treatment. Still further, the weight, bulk and cost of conventional apparatus are considerable which is due, to a great extent, to the need for mounting such apparatus on a sturdy frame, on a sturdy chair or on a solid bed in order to ensure that the stationary parts of the apparatus will not change their positions while the apparatus is in actual use.